After signing a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays in February, Hunter proved to be a consistently reliable arm in the back end of Kevin Cash‘s bullpen, posting a 2.61 ERA with 64 strikeouts and 14 walks in 58.2 innings. He was particularly effective against left-handed batters, who managed to hit only .170 with five extra-base hits against the 31-year-old.

It’s fair to label Hunter as a journeyman, as his career has taken him from Texas to Baltimore (in the infamous Chris Davis trade), with a stop in Cleveland and a return to the Orioles as well. After beginning his career as a starter, it wasn’t until he became a full-time reliever in 2013 that Hunter began to find success.

It should also be noted that Hunter, in his ninth full major league season, added anywhere from one to three miles per hour to his various fastballs, according to Brooks Baseball. His 97 mph four-seam fastball is particularly impressive, considering Brooks measured the pitch at an average of 93 mph in 2012.

It had been reported earlier in the day that the Mets had been kicking the tires on multiple late-inning options, including the Rays’ Alex Colome and free agent Bryan Shaw, who the Mets have been heavily linked to in recent weeks. It would make a great deal of sense to place Hunter at the top of this list, considering his steady success in late-inning situations.

Callaway recently spoke to John Harper of the New York Daily News and said he’s seen what Harvey is going through before in the form of Jimenez and just needs to get him back on the right track.

“Matt is obviously a guy that’s had great success, and needs a little bit of direction right now,” Callaway said last week. “And I’ve been around a guy like that, Ubaldo Jimenez.

“It seems like a very similar case. You just get confused in what’s going on and you’re not sure how to right the ship. And it can be a very simple process.”

Jimenez has mostly been a journeyman type pitcher throughout his career, but under Callaway’s watch in 2013, he pitched to a 13-9 record with a 3.30 ERA. He hopes the same can be accomplished with Harvey.

It was a rough year in 2017 for the Mets right-hander, who pitched to a 5-7 record with a 6.70 ERA, 6.37 FIP, 1.694 WHIP and had a career low 6.5 K/9. Harvey was coming off surgery to relieve Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and also dealt with atrophy in his pitching shoulder.

His velocity was working its way back up towards the end of the season, but his pitches looked flat and hitters made him pay.

Super agent Scott Boras said last month that he is going to put a substantial throwing program in place for Harvey this winter at his southern California sports institute.

“Matt has been blessed with a lower half that is one of the strongest we have ever seen,” Boras told the New York Post. “He is an amazingly strong athlete. So, from our standpoint the clay is there to build the sculpture. His velocity is more than enough at 95 (mph) and he has a ceiling above that.

“This is about command and command does relate to conditioning and strength. What Matt went through with the TOS (thoracic outlet syndrome), he did not have the type of conditioning last offseason you do when you have normal health. He will have that chance this offseason.”

A dejected Matt Harvey was relieved when his hellish season came to a close, but now he is in his walk year and will have every opportunity to make the most of it before hitting the open market.

“Coming back from this process has been curveball, curveball of different feelings and different strengths,” Harvey said of the relatively unknown rehab from the surgery last month. “It’s new for a lot of people and something I tried to push through at times through pain and weakness. I think I just kind of put myself in a hole throughout that process.

“The positive is this nightmare of a season is over for me. I can look forward to a progressive offseason of getting everything back and making sure I am in good shape for spring training.”

I don’t take the Harvey comparison to Ubaldo Jimenez as a bad one. Jimenez was a promising young arm when he first came up and even finished third in the 2010 National League Cy Young voting.

The only difference is, Harvey is trying to work his way back from a very unpredictable surgery, on top of also having undergone Tommy John. I expect him to really work his rear end off this offseason to try and secure a nice deal for himself next winter, but it will be an uphill climb.

I think the tandem of Callaway and Dave Eiland is as good as anyone to try and get him on the right track, and hey, if he does have a similar season to that of Jimenez’s from 2013, that would be very good for a No. 3 starter.

I’m rooting for Harvey, I really am. I hope that he doesn’t mope about last season and instead gets angry and comes back with his fiery demeanor of old.

It had been talked about late this year whether or not former Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson would play again beyond 2017, but it appears he will.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com on Twitter, Granderson will indeed play in 2018. The 36-year-old is hitting the open market for the first time since the 2013 offseason.

The Mets traded the outfielder to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August to help bolster the latter’s outfield, but he was ultimately left off the team’s World Series roster.

Between the Mets and Dodgers in 2017, he hit .212/.323/.452 with 26 homers and 64 RBI in 147 games (527 at-bats).

In his four seasons with New York, Granderson never landed on the disabled list and hit 20+ home runs in each year with the team, minus this past season where he had 19 prior to his trade.

The Mets have a need for an outfielder this offseason, but as much as I’d love the team to bring Grandy back into the fold, I think it’s time they go in a different direction.

We need some fresh blood in here and someone who can make an impact in place of the injured Michael Conforto for the time being. I just don’t see Granderson being able to do that.

However, I will miss his clubhouse presence, pleasant demeanor and his articulate answers to the media. Whoever ends up signing him is in for a treat, because he is one of the most upstanding individuals in the game.

The New York Mets introduced their 21st manager in team history, Mickey Callaway, Monday afternoon at Citi Field.

General manager Sandy Alderson said the team originally had over 30 potential options to replace Terry Collins, but shortened it down to six. The Mets brass planned on doing a second round of interviews, but they overwhelmingly decided Callaway was the man for the job. “We knew immediately he was the man for the job,” Alderson said.

“Throughout this diligent process of speaking to a number of candidates for our manager role, Mickey clearly in our eyes rose to the top with his successful coaching track record, winning and energetic attitude as well as strong communication skills with players and staff. We look forward to him guiding us back to the playoffs with a winning culture.”

Callaway spent the last five seasons as the pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians in charge of an Indians’ rotation that led the American League in strikeouts in each of the last four seasons (2014-2017), set a major league record for strikeouts (1,614) in 2017 and led the major leagues in ERA in 2017 (3.30) while finishing second in the American League in team ERA in both 2015 and 2016.

In his first season as the Indians pitching coach in 2013, the Indians had a 3.82 ERA, nearly a full run lower than the team’s ERA (4.78) from the 2012 season before he was named pitching coach. Since taking over as the Indians pitching coach in 2013, the Indians 3.65 ERA is fourth-best in the majors behind the Dodgers (3.44 ERA), Nationals (3.53 ERA) and Cardinals (3.59 ERA).

In addition to being on Terry Francona’s staff the last five years, whom he called the best in the game, Callaway played under Mike Scioscia and Buck Showalter.

Callaway, 42, becomes the team’s youngest manager since Davey Johnson at 41 in 1984. The new Mets skipper believes that this team is still in very good position to contend.

“I don’t think this is rebuilding,” he said. “This is a talented team and it won’t take long for them to get back to where they were.”

“We’re in the greatest city in the world. This is one of the greatest baseball franchises in the world. I see a team that can compete and contend with anyone, and that’s what I expect us to do.”

His first order of business is to contact and speak to all of his players, and he said that he has already had a great conversation with team captain, David Wright.

“I’m gonna reach out to the players, let them know how excited I am and begin this very, very important offseason with them. … We’re going to get to work right away.”

The former big league pitcher said he is going to treat each player like individuals and is not going to judge them based exclusively on numbers.

“We are going to care more about the players than anyone has before,” he said.

Callaway will reside in New York with his wife, Anna and two daughters.

Wow. I mean, wow. What a way to make a first impression and knock his first press conference out of the park. Callaway was practically gushing with excitement as he put on his new No. 36 home jersey and blue Mets cap.

Callaway was enthusiastic and brimming with confidence while saying all the right things for an inquisitive media that had plenty of questions. Certainly a great sign.

The emphasis he puts on wanting to win and connecting with his players was so genuine and quite frankly, it was a much needed breath of fresh air, especially after such an underwhelming season.

Sandy Alderson deserves credit for making such an inspired choice in Callaway, who brings such a vibrant personality and a long record of leadership and accomplishment to the Mets.

Will there be peaks and valleys? Of course, but kudos to the organization for stepping out of their comfort zone and bringing in a young guy who has worked with some of the best skippers in the game. This is a great move for the Mets and we’re excited for what the future holds.

According to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports, the New York Mets paid more than half of the remaining $3.5 million owed to Curtis Granderson in their trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In doing so, the Mets got arguably their best prospect of their deadline deals in right-handed reliever Jacob Rhame. MLB Pipeline has Rhame ranked as the Mets No. 23 prospect, the highest for their new arrivals.

Rhame has thrown two scoreless innings for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s and is a September call-up candidate given his inclusion on the Mets 40-man roster.

Granderson signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the Mets prior to the 2013 season. In 573 games with the Mets, Grandy hit .239/.341/.44 with 106 doubles, 95 home runs and 247 RBI.

Marc Carig of Newsday reported that some teams had expressed interest in buying low on RHP Matt Harvey before the trade deadline.

Harvey, 28, is currently rehabbing a scapula bone injury and is close to returning to the Major Leagues barring any setbacks.

After posting a 2.53 ERA, 2.65 FIP and 9.5 K/9 in his first three seasons (2012, 2013 and 2015), Harvey regressed significantly in 2016 going 4-10 with a 4.86 ERA and 3.47 FIP before needing surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome. After having a rib removed this past offseason, Harvey has been even worse in 2017 having gone 4-3 with a 5.25 ERA and 6.18 FIP in 13 starts.

The Mets hope he can still rebound after this latest round of rehab, and it seems that the teams looking to buy low on him this July thought the same. It remains to be seen if he will regain his dominant stuff or close to it this or next season, but the Mets did not risk losing much by not selling him to low-balling teams this July.

The Mets are 12-5 since competing in the first MLB contest of the new millennium and there have been heroes and villains in each game. Opening Day is a special experience for all MLB teams and fans as hope springs eternal across the country for what could be!

2016: ROYALS 4 METS 3

Villain: The Royals – In the first ever World Series Opening Day rematch, the Royals raised their 2015 banner and bested the Amazin’s in this Sunday Night match-up. Some may remember the first batter of the game, Alcides Escobar lining a ‘should be’ out to Yoenis Cespedes in left field off Matt Harvey, which Yo promptly dropped drawing flashbacks to Game 1. The Mets would go down 4-0 before an exciting rally fell short.

2015: METS 3 NATIONALS 1

HERO: KILLER B’S – Big Sexy Bartolo Colon got the starting nod for the opener and did not disappoint. He went six strong innings fanning eight Gnats yielding just three hits and one earned run. Southpaw Jerry Blevins recorded the first out in the bottom of the ninth and the then 37 year oldBuddy Carlyle recorded his first career save when closer Jenrry Mejia couldn’t answer the call. The opening series win vs the Nationals in 2015 helped shed the memories of recent D.C. dominance over the Metropolitans.

2014: METS 7 NATIONALS 9 (10 Innings)

VILLAIN: KILLER Bullpen – Bobby Parnell blew the save in the ninth to force extra innings spoiling what would have been a great afternoon opener at Citi. The bullpen would falter again in the tenth with Jeurys Famila and John Lannon combining to give up four runs.

2013: METS 11 PADRES 2

HERO: COLIN COWGILL – Cowgill’s seventh inning grand slam broke the game open and led the Mets to an opening day victory. The Mets 13-hit barrage backed Jon Niese’s only career Opening Day start for the orange and blue.

2012: METS 1 BRAVES 0

HERO: JOHAN SANTANA – In true Mets fashion, Johan Santana was not awarded a win for a great performance going five innings giving up no runs and two hits, striking out five. His season, and likely his career, would later be cut short due to a capsule injury after overextending himself while recording the first and only no-hitter in franchise history.

2011: METS 2 MARLINS 6

VILLAIN: FUTURE MET JOHN BUCK – Past future former present backstop John Buck knocked a fourth inning three-run home run off Mike ‘the Mouthpiece’ Pelfrey. Big Pelf spit the bit and took the loss in the beginning a forgettable season for all involved.

2010: METS 7 MARLINS 1

HERO: DAVID WRIGHT – David’s first inning two-run home run would be all the Mets needed that day to get the W. In a highly anticipated pitchers duel between Johan Santana and Josh Johnson, the masterful Santana edged his counterpart and gets an honorable mention HERO nod.

2009: METS 2 REDS 1

HERO: DANIEL MURPHY – Murphy would drive in the Mets lone runs of the day on a solo homer. He backed another stellar Johan Opening Day start. A week later the Mets opened Citi Field, a game in which Mike Pelfrey (permanent villain) got the start and the loss. His first pitch (the first pitch in Citi Field History) was a fastball that was deposited into the right field corner by Jody Gerut of the Padres.

2008: METS 7 MARLINS 2

VILLAIN: LUIS CASTILLO – Sure, the Mets got a nice win. Sure, David Wright had two hits and three RBI. Sure, Johan Santana got the W k’ing eight batters through seven three hit innings. However, Castillo is the villain of the millennium for me. He hit .245 in 2008, which was the first year of a four year $25 million dollar deal that the Mets signed him to after the 2007 season. Thankfully, he would only make it through three of those years. His stint was highlighted by the dropped pop up at Yankee Stadium and his stance to not attended a Veteran’s hospital in Washington with the rest of the club because he would be too “traumatized”. Oh Luis, who really traumatized who in this relationship?

2007: METS 6 CARDINALS 1

HERO: PAUL LO DUCA – The Duke, AKA Captain Red Ass, who in my opinion was one of the most underrated Mets of all time, recorded three of the club’s twelve hits and three RBI in this Opening Day contest. He also caught starter Tom Glavine’s six innings of one run ball. Lo Duca would hit .272 in 2007 after an outstanding .318 in 2006. The argument can be made that the Mets have not had a prototypical or even sufficient #2 hitter since his departure.

2006: METS 3 NATIONALS 2

HERO: XAVIER NADY – Another underrated Met, the X-man and his high leg kick went 4-4 with two doubles in the opener. He also hit an important homer in an exciting Subway Series comeback win later that season. He, unfortunately, was traded at the deadline for Roberto Hernandez to bolster the bullpen after Duaner Sanchez’s Miami mishap in a taxicab. The throw in in that deal? Oliver Perez, who would later start game 7 of the NLCS. Lastings Milledge took over the duties unsuccessfully in RF before the August waiver wire addition of Shawn Green.

2005: METS 7 REDS 6

VILLAIN: BRADEN LOOPER – On what was another delightful opening afternoon (until the ninth) the Mets led by two after eight innings. Looper blew the save by failing to record an out, giving up three runs on three hits. Two of those were homers, the first was a towering moon shot by Adam Dunn. The game ended when Looper served up a meatball to Joe ”the Joker” Randa making the Reds walk-off winners. The Amazin’s would start that year off 0-5. Joe Randa is still smiling somewhere.

2004: METS 7 BRAVES 2

HERO: KAZ MATSUI – Though a monumental bust, I have to give credit to Kaz here. He told the media post-game that he promised his friends in Japan he would close his eyes and swing at the first pitch he saw in a regular season game in America. The result? A bomb of a home run to straightaway center field. He finished the day 3-3 with 3 RBI. Ironically, he would hit a lead off inside-the-park home run the following year vs the Reds in the opener. Maybe the Mets should have tried to make him play blindfolded?

2003: METS 2 CUBS 15

VILLAIN: TOM GLAVINE – In his first start as a Met, Glavine may have still thought he was pitching for the Braves. The Hall of Famer allowed four runs in the first and five overall on eight hits in just 3.2 innings pitched. Honorable mention villain? Mike Bascik and his NINE earned runs he gave up in 2 frames of work. Ouch. In 2007, Tom Glavine’s Mets career would end the way it started.

2002: METS 6 PIRATES 2

HERO: AL LEITER – Tough game to pick here. I went with Al because he threw six innings of shutout ball on what was likely 342 pitches (it was really 108). Edgardo Alfonzo went 3-4 so he gets a mention. What may be even more impressive, though, is Mo Vaughn going 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. The impressive part? The Mets actually found pants to fit this man.

2001: METS 6 BRAVES 4 (10 INNINGS)

HERO: ROBIN VENTURA – Love him. Number four was known for hitting grand slams. On this day, after John Franco blew a late lead, Ventura hit twin two run homers. The first, off John ‘7 train’ Rocker in the 8th to force extra innings. He hit his 2nd two run homer in the tenth to get the Mets the win.

2000: METS 3 CUBS 5

VILLAIN: MIKE HAMPTON – In his first start as a Met, same as his first start in Tokyo, Japan, Mike Hampton would walk 9 in this contest. Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook would give up some late runs costing them the game. However, all’s well that ends well, as Hampton would be the MVP of the NLCS by pitching a complete game shutout for his second win of the series in Game 5. This propelled the Mets to a World Series appearance vs the Yankees.

Editors Note: A version of this article was originally written by the author for ‘The Daily Stache’.

The New York Mets have avoided arbitration with setup man Addison Reed for a one-year deal worth $7.75 million according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports. Pace Law School projected that he would get $7.9 million.

Reed was one of the top setup men in all of baseball in 2016 and had one best seasons for a reliever in Mets franchise history. His 1.97 ERA was tenth in the majors for relievers. Reed’s 1.97 FIP ranked even higher, sixth in MLB and the best ever for a Mets reliever in a single season. His dominance doesn’t stop there, his 2.6 fWAR ranked sixth among MLB relievers and was second in team history for a reliever.

Reed, 27, could see his role change to at least begin the 2017 season with the uncertainty surrounding Jeurys Familia and a possible suspension. It’s possible that Reed could slide into the closers role where he does have experience with 101 saves from 2012-2014 including a career high 40 in 2013 with the Chicago White Sox. Reed appeared in 80 games in 2016 (3rd most in MLB) and he could play an even bigger role in 2017.

Smith, the Mets No. 2 prospect was drafted 11th overall in the 2013 first-year players draft, and hit to a .302/.367/.457 clip with 14 long balls and 91 RBIs in 130 games for Double-A Binghamton last season.

New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia joined the Gigantes del Cibao yesterday in the Dominican Republic as he prepares to pitch in the round robin playoffs. Familia threw live batting practice which you can watch here.

The Dominican Winter League regular season ends tonight and Gigantes have already clinched a playoff spot. Familia last pitched for the Gigantes during the 2013 offseason. Seattle Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz will also be joining the team for the playoffs.

The Mets are limiting Familia to 10 innings during the winter league which he is using to prepare himself for the World Baseball Classic in March.

The simple assault charges against Familia were dropped last week, but he is still facing a possible suspension from Major League Baseball pending their own investigation.

Familia, 27, led major league baseball with 51 saves this past season which also set a new single season franchise record. He has led MLB with 154 regular season appearances over the past two seasons.

Consider this one of those MMO Mailbag articles I enjoy posting from time to time, only this time it’s not. The question was actually asked and answered by a very popular Mets site, and while normally I don’t like to do rebuttals, I feel that in this case I had to because I didn’t want Mets fans reading that piece and walking away with the belief that Sandy Alderson really blew it and effed up big-time.

The truth is he didn’t. The article had two huge factual errors and the argument that was built on those errors was weak, inconsistent with the reality of the situation, and it unfairly cast Sandy Alderson and the Mets in a very poor light.

Let’s take it right from the opening sentence…

“In early November, the Mets could have paid $1 million dollars to cut ties with outfielder Jay Bruce, making him a free agent, thus adding $12 million to their offseason budget.”

This much is true, but things begin to unravel after that.

“It’s also possible he would have rejected a one-year, $17 million qualifying offer, which means the Mets could have picked up a compensatory draft pick when he signed with a new team.”

Dead Wrong. That entire premise is factually inaccurate because it is based on the Mets giving Bruce a $17.2 million qualifying offer. The fact of the matter is that Bruce was traded mid-season, thus making him ineligible for a qualifying offer.

“Sandy Alderson and his staff clearly misread the trade market for power-hitting, corner outfielders. This is rare. Alderson has historically done an outstanding job with reconnaissance. In the case of Bruce, though, the Mets may have slipped up.”

You can knock Sandy Alderson for a lot of things during his tenure as Mets general manager, but to accuse him of “slipping up” by picking up Bruce’s option and then writing an entire article about it without never mentioning the top reason as to why he did it, is very biased and disingenuous.

The glaring omission in the entire article is that the top reason for picking up Bruce’s option was as a hedge against Yoenis Cespedes departing via free agency.

The entire reasoning for trading for Bruce in the first place, in addition to needing his bat, was that he had that $13 million dollar team option. Alderson himself said after making the deal, that it would have never happened if not for that option.

That option was Cespedes Insurance – pure and simple.

Additionally, the deadline for picking up that option was three weeks before the Mets eventually re-signed Yoenis Cespedes.

The Mets had no choice but to pick up that option. To not pick it up and then risk losing Cespedes as well Bruce, would have been one of the most bizarre head-scratching moves in franchise history – and believe me, the Mets have had some real doozies over the years.

I also take issue with the premise that Jay Bruce will ultimately be dealt for a dozen Dunkin Donuts. While I can tolerate the incessant whining from some ordinary Mets fans who lack patience, I do hold journalists – and especially executive editors – to a much higher standard.

For crying out loud, can we all be a little patient and wait to see what Sandy Alderson actually gets for Bruce before disemboweling him on December 15th?

Will there be a retraction and an apology if we actually get a useful reliever for Bruce while moving his entire $13 million dollar salary in the process for more additions later on?

I just can’t believe anyone would write such a critical article about Alderson’s judgement, one that was fraught with factual errors and an argument that had more holes than one of Donald Trump’s golf courses.

I understand how antsy-pantsy some fans are over the lack of any significant moves thus far in the offseason, but come on people, it’s mid-December not late-February. Let’s all chill the heck out.

Let’s see how all of this plays out before we start writing an obituary on the 2016-2017 Mets offseason.

Jeurys Familia has received permission from the New York Mets to pitch in the Dominican Winter League for the Gigantes del Cibao. Familia last pitched in the Dominican League back in 2013 when he made six appearances for Gigantes.

The Gigantes del Cibao are currently in first place with the regular season ending on December 21. Familia is expected to start pitching during the playoffs which start on December 26.

Familia, 27, led Major League Baseball and set a Mets franchise record with 51 saves in 2016 to go along with a 2.55 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 78 games.

The Mets closer has been in the news this offseason because of legal issues after being arrested on October 31 on a simple assault charge that involved his wife. His wife, Bianca Rivas, has expressed that she would like the charge dropped, but the prosecutor can continue with the case if they choose too.

According to Mike Berardino of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, the Minnesota Twins have hired former Major Leaguers Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, and LaTroy Hawkins as special assistants to baseball operations. They will “be responsible for serving as a resource for players and coaches in the mental and fundamental aspects of the game.”

According to Berardino, the three will be in uniform during Spring Training then helping out with the minor league affiliates during the season. The 2015 retirees are certainly good choices to help develop Twins’ players, as they have all had illustrious careers.

LaTroy Hawkins pitched for the Mets in 2013, and left his mark by introducing their relievers to the quick pitch when there are no runners on base. In his 20-year career, he went 75-94 with a 4.31 ERA, saving 127 games along the way. He was drafted by the Twins and played with them from 1995 to 2003.

Two-time All Star and Batting Champion Michael Cuddyer was also hired by the Twins. Cuddyer, who played for the Mets in his final season (2015), had a solid 14-year career during which he hit .277/.344/.461 with 197 home runs and 794 RBIs. He was drafted by and played for the Twins from 2001-2011 before he went to Colorado where he won his batting title, hitting .331 in 2013.

The last former player hired by the Twins had the most impressive career of the three, even though he was never a Met. Torii Hunter, who was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame this summer, played for the Twins from 1997-2007 before going to the Angels from 2008-2012, the Tigers from 2013-2014, then back to the Twins for his final season in 2015. He pulled a Moonlight Graham in 1997, appearing in one game but did not get an at bat.

High up on the list of best defensive center fielders of all time, the 5-time All Star won nine consecutive Gold Gloves from 2001-2009 and the Silver Slugger award in 2009 and 2013. He finished his career with a .277/.331/.461 batting line with 353 home runs, 1391 RBIs, and 2452 hits. He will certainly get some Hall of Fame votes when he arrives on the ballot in a few years.

When LaTroy Hawkins and Michael Cuddyer were on the Mets, we all heard about how the veterans had a phenomenal clubhouse presence, helping develop the younger players. They will now be able to continue that work in Minnesota with the Twins.

Unfortunately, according to Jon Heyman on Twitter, the Atlanta Braves are interested in acquiring his services. The Washington Nationals are also interested. They both have a real shot of landing him because they have very strong farm systems with a plethora of young players the rebuilding White Sox would want.

Sale, 27, is one of the nastiest pitchers in the game. Since becoming a starter in 2012, he has been an All Star every year and hasn’t finished lower than 6th in Cy Young voting, going 70-47 with a 3.04 ERA. In 1015.2 innings, he has struck out 1133 batters and pitching to a 1.061 WHIP. He has struck out at least 200 batters every year since 2013, whiffing 274 in 2015.

Sale is also highly sought after because of his relatively cheap contract. He will make $12 million in 2017, with options for 2018 and 2019 for $12.5 million and $15 million respectively. Unless he signs an extension, he will be a free agent after the 2019 season before his age 31 season.

The Braves have already signed former Met starters R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon this offseason. They already had Julio Teheran, so the addition of Sale would make for a pretty strong rotation.

They have also been linked to Chris Archer (more on that here), but it’s hard to imagine they have the means to acquire both aces.

If either of these two teams added Chris Sale, it would obviously have an immediate effect on the Mets. If the Braves acquired him, they certainly wouldn’t be thrust into a contending role right away, but if the Nationals signed him, they would solidify themselves at the top of the division with the Mets for years to come.

According to Jim Duquette on Twitter, the Orioles are considering former Met player and coach Frank Viola to be their new pitching coach.

Viola was hired by the Mets in 2011 to be the Brooklyn Cyclones pitching coach. Then, in 2012 and 2013, he was the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats pitching coach. After winning Coach of the Year in 2013, Viola was named the pitching coach for the AAA Las Vegas 51s.

During a 2014 spring training physical, Viola was unfortunately diagnosed with a heart condition that required open-heart surgery. He has since recovered completely.

As a pitcher, Viola had a standout career. The three-time All Star won a Cy Young award in 1988 with the Twins, going 24-7 with a 2.64 ERA. He was traded to the Mets during the 1989 season, playing in New York until 1991.

In two and a half years with the Mets, he was an All Star twice and finished 3rd in Cy Young voting in 1990 when he went 20-12 with a 2.67 ERA. He retired as a player in 1996.

He has a great reputation as a player and a coach, and would certainly make a great addition to the Orioles staff who, with the exception of Zach Britton, could use the help.

Per ESPN’s Adam Rubin via Twitter, Lucas Duda will be the 2017 starting first baseman. When asked if he thinks prospect Dominic Smith would have a chance in Spring Training, Rubin said, “He has not played above Double-A, so no. Lucas Duda is the 2017 first baseman. Then it’s potentially Dominic Smith’s turn.”

The Mets will probably be active on the free agent/trade market this offseason, however it seems that first base is not somewhere they will be looking to upgrade.

Despite having an unimpressive, injury shortened 2016 during which he batted just .229 with seven HR and 23 RBIs, Duda has proven in the past to be a productive hitter.

Between 2014-2015, Duda, 30, slashed .249/.350/.483 while crushing 57 home runs and producing 165 RBIs. He is a streaky hitter, but when he gets hot he is unstoppable and is as dangerous as any hitter.

Dominic Smith, 21, has been making great progress in the Minor Leagues, with 2016 being his best season yet. Playing his entire season at AA Binghamton (130 games), he slashed .302/.367/.457 with 14 home runs and 91 RBIs. He’s always had the potential for home run power, but it finally translated last year, doubling his career home run total as he hit 14 from 2013 to 2015.

The 11th overall pick of the 2013 draft, Smith seems to be the future at first base for the Mets. However, with Duda still under team control for one more year, his path to the show is being blocked. Furthermore, Duda’s trade value is as low as could be right now, having missed most of last season with a serious back injury and under-performing when healthy. A trade involving him this offseason is unlikely.

If he performs for the first half of the season and Smith continues his phenomenal hitting in the Minors, the Mets could feasibly trade Duda at the deadline if there are other needs to address at the time.

While Dominic Smith is not going to start the season as the Mets’ first baseman, he seems to be close to ready. Saying he will be the 2018 starting first baseman would be a safe bet, but don’t be surprised if you see him in New York next season.

The quality of the player’s contribution to his club during the past season (referred to as his “platform season”), including but not limited to his overall performance, special qualities of leadership and public appeal

The length and consistency of his career contribution

The player’s past compensation

Comparative baseball salaries

The existence of any physical or mental issues on the part of the player

The recent performance record of the club, including but not limited to its league standing and attendance, as an indication of public acceptance

Matt Harvey battled injuries this year, including a blood clot in his bladder during spring training, and more notably, thoracic outlet syndrome. The latter required surgery, during which one of his ribs was removed.

His thoracic outlet syndrome directly affected his pitching in many ways, including losing feeling in his fingers, as he never could really put it together in 2016. He went 4-10 posting a 4.86 ERA. In 17 starts, he pitched 92 2/3 innings and struck out 76.

Nobody is totally sure how his surgery will affect his pitching going forward. Best case scenario (which, let’s face it, doesn’t happen for the Mets often) would be for him to return to his 2013/2015 form. He is on track to come back healthy for spring training, and if he pitches nearly as well as he has in the past, he will help round out what could end up being the best rotation in the majors.

Did Sandy Alderson’s pre-2015 signing of John Mayberry Jr. excite you? What about when the Mets signed Chris Young before the 2014 season or Alejandro De Aza before the 2016 season? I don’t know about you, but I’ll never forget the 2012/13 offseason when the Mets signed Shaun Marcum and Brandon Lyon and traded for Collin Cowgill all in the span of a few months. What a whirlwind of exciting activity.

Whenever MLB’s all-time best reliever free agent signings are discussed, I know Mets fans love to debate whether the Frank Francisco (2011/2012) or Antonio Bastardo (2015/2016) signing made a bigger mark in Mets history. One day I’ll tell my children about Sandy’s first year as Mets GM when he snagged D.J. Carrasco and Chris Capuano for the staggering combined total of 3.9 million dollars.

Then there’s the list of talented players that have walked (or been forced) out the door during the Alderson era including Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan after the 2011 season, Justin Turner after the 2013 season, and Daniel Murphy after the 2015 season.

The MLB Hot Stove has always been the primary thing that helps me survive the winds of winter. But that stroll down Mets memory lane should serve as a reminder that Sandy Alderson generally keeps the stove pretty cold. He’s never been about the flashy headline grabbing moves.

Sure he’s made the occasional offseason splash during his tenure as Mets GM. He extended David Wright (8 years, $138 million) before the 2013 season which obviously hasn’t worked out due to David’s injuries, but was a no brainer at the time. He signed Curtis Granderson (4 years, $60 million) and Bartolo Colon (2 years, $20 million) after the 2013 season.

He searched far and wide for a big bat before the 2015 season and ended up with Michael Cuddyer (2 years 21 million) who promptly fell apart physically and retired (Whoops!). And then obviously last year he signed Asdrubal Cabrera (2 years, $18.5 million (with a team option)) and retained Yoenis Cespedes (even if it only turns out to be for one extra season).

The bottom line is we’ve all seen the Alderson front office strategy. He generally makes some minor additions to the roster during the winter and leaves something to be desired. He’ll make a few cost efficient signings and an occasional under the radar trade. Then he adds major league depth via trade or the waiver wire to the extent the roster needs it over the course of the season (e.g. Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe, James Loney, Jose Reyes etc.) before going big at the trade deadline (e.g. Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce).

In no way am I trying to criticize anything Sandy has done as General Manager. Sandy built up the farm system, lifted our franchise out of the doldrums, acquired two of the most talented players to ever don the Mets uniform in Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes, and all of his actions have resulted in two straight playoff appearances.

That being said, as a sofa GM who lives for the rumor mill, it would be a refreshing change to see an offseason full of meaningful moves for the Mets. Plus, the whole strategy of making trades over the course of the season to patch up roster holes isn’t the best way to maintain the talented minor league system that Sandy helped create.

I suppose it’s possible we will see some more action this winter considering the last two years the Mets’ Hot Stove has trended up in temperature. But I wouldn’t get your hopes up folks. I’m grabbing my gloves and scarf just in case Sandy sticks to his typical plan and avoids any major signings. But if adding a middle reliever, a right-handed hitting bat for the bench, and a backup catcher on one year deals lights your fire, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy the kind of “heat” the Mets bring.

To begin, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN has reported Lucroy can block trades to eight teams including the Twins, Angels, Athletics, Padres, Mariners, Nationals, Indians and Tigers. The latter two have been connected to Lucroy.

That’s good news for the Mets and likely why the Brewers have reengaged them. The Brew Crew have been busy scouting both the Mets Triple-A and Double-A affiliates over the last two days.

Milwaukee has made a counteroffer to the Mets for Lucroy, which the Mets have not rejected, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.

Additionally, the Mets have no intention in dealing either shortstop prospect Amed Rosario or first base prospect Dominic Smith, Rubin adds.

Still, Crasnick believes the Indians continue to be the favorites to land Lucroy, while the Tigers are officially out.

Original Report – July 28

The Brewers have “re-engaged” the Mets today on catcher Jonathan Lucroy, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Rosenthal notes that nothing is close but that discussions have begun again and are ongoing.

Some rumblings swirling about that former 2012 first-rounder Gavin Cecchini could be a part of a potential deal for Lucroy, and that was further fueled when we learned that Cecchini was scratched from tonight’s lineup for Triple-A Las Vegas. But as it turns out, Cecchini is penciled in to start at shortstop.

The primary component of a deal is expected to be Travis d’Arnaud who the Brewers like, but were unwilling to do a straight-up swap for earlier this week according to the Daily News.

Trade talks for Lucroy are really gaining a lot of momentum according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. The Indians, Rangers, Astros and Red Sox have all been connected to Lucroy, with the Indians considered by some to be the favorite.

Lucroy has been the most talked about hitting target for the Mets, but hope was pretty much shot down on Monday. After a sub-par 2015 campaign, Lucroy is back to his old self, slashing .300/.361/.486 with 13 homers in 371 plate appearances. He would certainly provide a boost to the struggling Mets offense, but would come at a very steep price.